, 1887-06-02

i
JAMES e. MURDOCH. having been born on
January o5, 1911. His father was Thomas
Murdoch, book binder, who was afterward
an officer In the war OF 1912. Always inclined
! to defamation and the stage, young Muir
| doch made such progress as an amateur that
his father had him brought out as has been
stated Beginning with tho next spring, he
entered upon the life of a professional actor,
his first engagement being financially dis
astrous one-at Halifax, where the company
failed-and his father had to send him money
| to return home Within two years, however,
| at Forests own direction, he was cast
| Pythias to the formers Damon at Augusta,
| Ga. From that time OH his progress was
| steadily upward A play was written for
| him by his bosom friend, Robert II. Connrd,
| which they were unable to put up on the
boards, and which, some years afterward
when remodelei, was as great success as
Jack Cade. For ten years Murdoch con-
tirucd to play in the large American cities
| In 1870, while stage manager OF the National
theatre at Boston, he determined to devote
more time to stu ly and left the theatrr for
few years, which he devoted to study,
teaching and lecturing. He became an en-
thusnstir dist Ia OF Dr. JunoS Il sh, whose
work, entitled The Philosophy OF the VOICE."
he has never ceased to commend, and which
he has supplemented with "rhe Cultivation
of the Voice." work extensively used as q
to-. hook emorg clo"rtionis.s
In 1915 Mr. Murdoch returned TO the stage
reappearing as Hamlet at the Park theatre,
New York, and for fifteen years he
remained leading light upon the Ameri-
can stage his versatility was re-
markable, and he was equally success
ful in both tragedy and comedy. His elo-
cution was perhaps the most perfect Of any
American actor, and his fidelity to the
text and tho intellectual refinement Of his
stage conceptions were as conspicuous as they
were exceptional. In 1855 he played q most
successful engagement I'm California. Tho
next year he went to England for rest
and recreation, but his reputation was
so great that English managers insisted
upon his playing, with the result that he filled
the largest consecutive engagement of his
life his name heading the bills at the Hay
market Theatre, London, for the season of
10 nights His reception at Liverpool was
even more fattering than in the metropolis,
until, in the very height OF success, he was
taken i'll, thus compelling the canceling OF
engagements at other Enslisb cit es. During
his london engagement he played comedy
mostly, takirg su'h characters as Charles
Surface, Alfred Evelyn, Rover in "Wnd
Oats" Don Felix In "The Wonder" and
Vapid in THE Dramatist," characters mostly
unknown 10 the present generation. At Liv-
erpool he also plnyci Hamlet, and his rend-
tion was favoUD,y compared to that of Rean
and MaCrcady.
After his return to America he settled upon
a farm he had bought some years before near
Cincinnati, but during the theatrical season
he played in all the principal cities of the
Union as one OF the leading American stars.
On the breaking out of the civil war in 1861
all the intense and aggressive patriotism of
his nature asserted itself. He sent two sons
10 the army, one of whom fell at Chicka-
mauga, while he gave his whole soul to the
cause of the Uaion and served for time as
a volunteer nid to Gen. Rosecrans. BY his
timely counsel, his fervent exhortation, his
answering loyalty and ceaseless devotion to
the interests of the government and its sol
diers lie served his country as cffectually as
any who bore musket carried a sword.
He gave readings in aid of ladies' societies
for the benefit of sick and wounded soldiers,
and published a small volume entitled PA
triotism In Poetry and Prose-" the proceeds
of which went to the same end. The sum
realized from these sources amounted to tens
of thousands OF dollars.
In the fall of 1864. just after the battle Of
Cedar Greek, a patriotic meeting was to be
held at Pixies opera house, Cincin-
natl, at which Murdoch was to give a read
ing. That morning he saw copy of Har-
per's Weekly, the frontispiece OF which was
picture of Little Phil" Sheridan galloping
from Winchester to tho battlefield at Cedar
Greek. He gazed at It awhile In admiration
and then handed the sheet to his friend
Thomas Buchanan Read, the poet, saying
earnestly, "Buck; there's a poem in that
pictured" Read looked; he caught the idea,
and putting the paper In his pocket went at
once to his room, where he sat down and
tha ivnu nj nf ;la
Ride" which Murdoch read that night to
thunders Of applause. The room in which
the poem was written IL the third floor front
room of the building No. 40 West Eighth
street, large, comfortable, ordinary front
room, in a house now used as q boarding
house, the landlady Of which did not know
until few days ago that she possessed spot
Of such historic interest.
For many years after the close of the war
Murdoch remained upon his farm near Gin
cinnati, so closely retired that old friends who
visited the city and desired to call upon him
could not always find out where he lived.
His time was given wnoIy to grape raising
and the study Of his old profession. A series
OF lectures and essays on elocution were pre-
pared, based on the theories of DIR. Rush. In
1879 he gave course OF readings and lectures
before the School of Oratory In Philadelphia.
Since then he has lived quietly at his home,
making occasional appearances In readings or
recitations at Cincinnati and other cities,
mostly in the interest of various charities
His last public appearance was at a compli-
mentary benefit rendered him at the Odeon,
at Cincinnati, on the night Of April %,
Shakespeare's birthday, when he appeared as
Sir Charles Surface and Hamlet in suitable
scenes selected, to the great qualification OF
hosts of friends. LAWSON.